Irani announces university chair after Bezbaruah

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, February 18: Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani has announced that a chair after Sahitya Rathi Laxmith Bezbaruah will be instituted in a university of the county soon.

This announcement came as a follow-up of the Union minister's assurance given to the people of Assam on October 6, 2014 when she had been in Guwahati as the chief guest at a function of Downtown University. At that function, the Union minister came to know that the 150th birth anniversary of the Sahitya Rathi was being observed in the state and outside. She then assured the people of the state that she would take steps to spread works and contribution of Bezbaruah outside Assam also.

According to sources, there will be 100 per cent funding for the chair for five years and is extendable for two more years as per UGC norms. There will be funding of Rs 1,50,000 for books and jourls for five years and Rs 30,000 per year for each of the two additiol years, if extended, Rs 1 lakh a year for travel (local and tiol), Rs 1.50 lakh a year for secretariat assistance, Rs 1 lakh a year for holding   workshops/ /conference/semir/summer school; Rs 1.29 lakh a year as contingency expenditure. Meanwhile, circles concerned in the state demand that the chair should be a permanent one, and it should be instituted in any university in Kolkata or Delhi.